The Mouse, the Cat and the Quest for Curd / मूस आ बिलाइर के दही

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription by Nidhi Anand and Translation by Neeraj Kumar
Translation edits by Coralynn V. Davis

Teller: Unknown 6
Location: Sagarpur
Date: 03/23/17

March 23, 2017: Session 9
Maithili Folklore Story 17_03_23_09

View the transcription in Maithili.

एगो सासु पुतोहु रहथिन घरमे । राजा साहब रहथिन। दुनू प्राणी रहथिन अप्पन घरमे दू गो बेटा पुतोहु रहैन।

There once was a woman who had a daughter-in-law. There was also a king. They lived together in their home with their son and his wife.

दू गो बेटा पुतोहु रहैन तऽ साउस कहलखिन मांजी से अहाँ दुनू बच्चा के लऽ जाउ सुता दियौ, सुता दियौ गऽ से हम ताबत इम्हर काम करय छी से बड्ड हरान करय हय। 

There was a son and daughter-in-law. Now, the daughter-in-law once told her mother-in-law, “Mother, please take the two children and put them down to sleep, as they are disturbing me a lot while I am working.”

कहलखिन जे यै कनिया से दू दू टा बच्चा हमरा समहरत से नै तऽ हम जाय छी सुतय लै। 

She replied, “Daughter, two children would be too difficult for me to handle, so I myself am going to sleep.”

कहलखिन तब छोड़ि दय छियैन खाना केना बनेबन बौआ के नै सुतेथिन तऽ हम केना बनेबन। 

She protested, “Go ahead and leave then, but how will I cook, if you won’t put them to sleep.”

कहलखिन अच्छा लाऊ हारने तऽ करहे पड़त तऽ लाऊ हम दुनू बच्चा के लऽ जाय छी। एगो के काँख तर लेलखिन आ एगो के से बिछान पर सुता कऽ हाथ लऽ कऽ ठोकैत रहथिन। 

She answered, “Ok, I give up, I will have to do it. So, bring them to me, I am taking them with me to go to sleep.”

ठोकैत रहथिन तऽ ऊ बड़का बच्चा जे रहैन से कहलखिन जे दादी एगो खिस्सा कही ने हम सुति रहब। 

As she patted them to sleep, the elder child requested, “Grandma, tell me a story so I can fall asleep.”

तू खिस्सा कही तऽ हम सुति रहबौ। 

“Tell a story, and I will go to sleep.”

बौआ के लेने रही कोरामे। 

“And you can take the younger child in your lap.”

कहलकय रे बौआ हमरा तऽ नै होइ यै खिस्सा कहल से हम केना कहियौ खिस्सा। 

She said, “Hey, son, I am not able to tell stories, so how can I?”

तऽ नै कही ने एगो दादी तऽ हम सुति रहब। 

He protested, “No, grandma, please tell me one. I will go to sleep then.”

ओ कहलकय देखी रे बौआ हम कहय छियौ अच्छा सुन। 

She said, “Ok, look, son, I am telling one, listen.”

तऽ कहलकय कही दादी।  

And he encouraged her, “Go ahead, grandma.”

बूढ़ी कहलखिन कि जे देखी एगो बिल्लाइ रहय आ एगो मूसा रहय। 

The old lady began, “See here, there once were a cat and a mouse.”

दुनू रहय तऽ कोठी कनहा पर से रहियय दही पोड़ि कऽ धेने।

“Both of them lived on top of an earthen storage vessel, and there was curd being prepared in a bowl, which was kept atop that storage vessel.” 

दही पोड़ि कऽ जे धेने रहियय तऽ ओ बिल्लाइ आ मूसा  दुनू झगड़ा करय कि पहिले हम ओकरा खैब मूसा कहथिन पहिले हम ओकरा खैब।

“When she would put out milk for preparing curd, the cat and the mouse would fight as to who would eat it first. Cat would say ‘I will eat first,’ but the mouse would say ‘No, I will eat first’.”

बिल्लाइ जे कूदलखिन तऽ ऊ मटकुरी पर ढक्कन जे रहय से गिर गेलय, गिर गेलय।

“When the cat jumped on it, the cover from the bowl fell off.”

मूसा चाहलखिन आब तऽ बिल्लाइ नीचा गेलथि कूदि कऽ हम तऽ कोठिए पर छी। हम तो खेबे करबय। 

“Now the mouse thought that since the cat had jumped down, ‘I am still sitting on this storage vessel, so I will surely have a chance to eat’.”

मूसा जे रहथिन से मटकुरीमे मुँह दऽ देलखिन तऽ पहिले तऽ मूसे जीत गेलखिन। पहिले मूसे खा गेलखिन। 

“The mouse put his mouth first into the earthen jar, so it prevailed. The mouse ate first.”

लास्टमे जे बिल्लाइ चाहलखिन जे हम खैब जहाँ ऊ कोठी पर चढ़लखिन आ जहाँ चाँगुर लऽ कऽ नीचा केलखिन पकड़ऽ लगलखिन मटकुरी गिर गेलनि। दही तऽ गेलनि फूटि। 

“At last when the cat wanted to eat, she climbed onto the vessel, and as she tried to pull the jar with her paws, the jar toppled down. The jar broke, and the curd splattered.”

फूटि गेलनि ओ जते रहैन माटि पर गिरल ओ चाटि पोछि कऽ खा गेलखिन। 

“It broke. And she licked and ate whatever had fallen on the ground.”

बिल्लाइ खा गेलखिन तऽ हुनकर उठलनि घरबारी। 

“While the cat was eating the curd, the house owners awoke.”

उठलनि तऽ कहलकैन देखियौ सवेरमे नश्ता के टाइम भेलय तऽ गेलखिन ओ दही खोजय लै, दही खोजय लै जे गेलखिन तऽ मटकुरी देखलखिन नीचामे फूटल, नीचामे फूटल तऽ कहलखिन अपना ससुर कऽ जे बाबूजी से जै चीज लै हम गेलौं अहाँक नश्ता आनय लै से ओ चीज तऽ नै अछि। 

“When her daughter-in-law awoke, she went to check, saying, ‘Let’s see.’ Since it was time for breakfast in the morning, she went to look at the curd. And when she saw that the jar was lying broken on the ground, she told her father-in-law, ‘Father, the thing that I went to get for your breakfast is not there.’” 

तऽ कहलकय से कि केलियय दुल्हिन। 

“Her father-in-law responded, ‘What did you do, daughter?’”

आ तऽ ओ दही जे छलनि से देखथुन ने नीचा गिरल पूरा फूटि कऽ पूरा छै मट्टीमे ओंघरैल आ सब दही छै खराब भऽ गेल।

“She replied, ‘The curd has fallen to the ground and has splattered on dirt, and all of it has been spoiled.’”

तऽ कहलकय तऽ फेन केना कि हेतय। तऽ कहलकय कि हेतय लाऊ जैहै छै घरमे सैहै लाऊ नूने रोटी छै नूने रोटी हमरा नश्ता दऽ दियऽ।

“So he said, ‘How will we get by then? Bring whatever there is at home. If bread and salt is all there is, then bring even that for my breakfast.’”

कहलकय नै बाबूजी से केना हेतय से हम अहाँ के दूध औंट दय छी। हम अहाँ के दूध औंट दय छी। दूध आर गर्म रोटी बना दय छी खा लियऽ आ चलि जैब काम पर। 

“She said, ‘No, father, how would that look? I am going to boil milk for you, and I will make bread for you. You can eat the bread and milk, and then you can go to work.’”

कहलखिन छोड़ू आब अहाँ दूध औंटब रोटी बनायब ताबे हम बैठल रहब आ दही रहितय तऽ चूरा संगे खा कऽ चलि जइतौं अहूँ के परेशानी नै आ हमरो लेट नै लगितै से नै तऽ छोड़ि दियौ हम बजारमे कुछ नश्ता कऽ लेब। 

“He said, ‘Leave it for now. If you boil milk and make bread, I will have to wait for it to be ready. It would have been better if there were curd and flattened rice. I would have gone once I’d eaten that, and it would have saved your labour, too. Ah well. I will eat some breakfast in the market.’”

कहलखिन नै से केना हेतय। ओ कनिया जे छाल्हि धेने रहथिन बंद कऽ कऽ, जेना घी मोहय छलखिन तऽ घी मोहय लै ऊ छाल्हि धेने रहथिन, ओ छाल्हिमे सँ काटि कऽ आ ससुर के अप्पन दऽ देलखिन जे खा कऽ कहुना चलिए जेतैथ। 

“She said, ‘No, how will that look?’ She had kept some cream, which she would skim from the milk to prepare ghee, so she had some of that. She took some out of her stores and gave it to her father-in-law, thinking, ‘Somehow he will eat before going to work.’” 

ओ छाल्हि जे काटि कऽ देलखिन तऽ ओ छाल्हि तऽ कनी मठ्ठा टाइप के भऽ जाइ छै तऽ ओ खाइत रहथिन तऽ कहलखिन दुल्हिन से हमरा अहाँ ई दही देलौं हन कि मोहि जे रखय छलियय घी निकालय लै से देलौं हन। 

“As he was eating, he found that the taste was like buttermilk (a bit sour). So he asked her, ‘Daughter, is what you have given me to eat curd or the cream that you have kept for making ghee?’”

तऽ हँ बाबूजी कि करब आब दही नै छै आब अहाँ दूध के भरोसे रोटी के भरोसे रुकबे नै करबय 

तऽ अहाँ के ओहिमे से दू चम्मच काटि कऽ दऽ देलौं जे अहाँ के काम जाय लै लेट नै हैत तइ दुआरे अहाँ यैह खा कऽ चलि जाउ। 

“She replied, ‘Yes, father, since you won’t stay for bread and milk, I have given you two spoonfuls of that so that you would be able to eat before going to work, as well.’”

वैह कहते रहथिन ताबेमे हुनकर पत्नी एलन तऽ कहलकैन अहाँ जाय छियय विदा भऽ कऽ। 

“While she was speaking, that very moment her mother-in-law arrived and asked the father-in-law, ‘Are you leaving?’”

तऽ हँ जाय छी जे कनिया सोचने छलै से कनिया के बात नै भेलनि। दही बेकार भऽ गेलनि। हमरा जे देलनि से भोजन कऽ कऽ हम जा रहल छी ड्यूटी पर। 

“He replied, ‘Yes, I am. What daughter had thought of didn’t materialise. The curd was ruined. I have eaten what she gave me to eat and am now going to work.’”

कहलकय ठीक छै जाऊ। 

“She said, ‘Okay, go.’”

फेन हुनकर साउस कहलखिन जे कनिया केना दही रखय छियय जे गिर जाइ यै से नै तऽ सिक्का पर कियै नै रखय छी, सिक्का पर राखब। 

“Then her mother-in-law told her, ‘Daughter, how did you store the curd such that it fell down? No, why don’t you keep the jar sitting on a coin? Place it on a coin from now on.’”

ओइ दिन कनिया हुनकर सैह केलकैन पुतोहु। दही पोड़ि कऽ सिक्का पर धऽ देलकैन।

“That day the daughter-in-law did just that. She rested the jar, with milk in it for making curd, on a coin.”

सिक्का पर जे धेलकैन तऽ फेर बिल्लाइ एलैन पड़िकल रहथिन फेन एलैन। 

“She put it on a coin. The cat was used to that place, so it returned.”

फेन कहलकय ओह रखय छलखिन कोठी कनहा पर आइ धेलखिन हन सिक्का पर। 

“The cat uttered, ‘Each day it is kept atop the earthen storage vessel, but today she has left it sitting on a coin.’”

सिक्का पर चढ़नाइ तऽ हमरा कनी अथिए लागत से नै तऽ ई दही केना खैब। फेन मूसा सुनैत रहथिन बनेरी परसँ बैसि कऽ। 

“The cat continued, ‘It would be awkward for me to climb over and sit on the coin, so how will I be able to eat the curd?’ And the mouse sitting over there at the wooden pile of the roof was listening to all this.”

कहलखिन जोह अहाँ तऽ नहिए खैब लेकिन हम तऽ खेबे करब। 

“It said to the cat, ‘Huh, leave. I know that you won’t eat, but I will surely eat.’”

कहलखिन ठीक छै। 

“The cat responded, ‘Fine.’”

ई चाहलखिन बिल्लाइ जे धेने रहथिन कोठी ओ कोठी पर चढ़ि कऽ छड़पि कऽ गिरा दियय नऽ वैह खेती न हमही खैब। 

“The cat wanted to jump on the earthen vessel and push the jar down so that neither the woman nor she herself would be able to eat.”

ई जे छड़पलखिन तऽ हिनका नै भेलनि। 

“But when she tried to jump, she could not make it.”

मूसा कि केलखिन तऽ ओइ रस्सी पर सहरल सहरल चलि एलखिन ऊ जे ढक्कन रहैन फेन गिरा देलखिन आ जते दही रहय ओइमे चाटि पोछि कऽ मूसा खा गेलखिन, खा गेलखिन फेन बिल्लाइ जे गेलथि कोठी पर चढ़ि कऽ ओकरा गिरेलक तऽ ओइमे दहिए नै। 

“Now the mouse, swinging on the rope, made it there, pushed the cover off the jar, and licked and ate up all the curd. And when the cat climbed the earthen vessel and pushed the jar atop it, she found no curd in it.”

ओ तऽ मूसा सबटा खा गेल रहैन। 

“That mouse had eaten it all.”

फेन गेलखिन हुनकर पुतोहु सवेरमे फेन कहलखिन जा अथी पर सिक्का पर छलियय धऽ देने  मांजी सिक्को पर नै छै, छुछे मटकुरी पड़ल छै। 

“Again the daughter-in-law went to her mother-in-law in the morning, ‘Mother, you had asked to keep it sitting on a coin, but even so it is not there. Only the jar is there.’” 

कहलकय ई केना होइ छै। 

“She asked, ‘How is that possible?’”

तऽ अहाँ दही पोड़ि कऽ धऽ अबय छियय आ दही नै रहय छै केना कऽ अहाँ पोड़य छी से नै तऽ अहाँ अई पर ध्यान दियौ। 

“She continued, ‘Where are you placing the curd in a manner such that it doesn’t remain there? Where are you putting it? No, pay attention to it.’” 

किछोमे बंद कऽ कऽ राखू। बंद कऽ कऽ जे रखलखिन फेन बिहान भऽ कऽ टिफिनमे पोड़लखिन बंद डिब्बामे जेना कोई नाश्ता पानी लऽ जाए छथिन तऽ टिफिन रहय छलय। 

“‘Keep it closed inside something.’ So, the next day, she put it in a tiffin box (like one packs breakfast in a tiffin box).”

डिब्बामे जे धेलखिन बंद कऽ कऽ ओइ दिन हिनकर डब्बा रहबे करेंन। डब्बा रहबे करेंन फेन भिनसरमे उठलखिन तऽ फेन ससुर के जाए के टाइम भेलनि कहलखिन कनिया आइयो देब कि नै देब। आइयो देब कि नै देब। 

“When she put it in a tiffin box, that day it remained safe. The next morning, the tiffin box was already there; when it was time for her father-in-law to leave for work, he asked her, ‘Daughter, will you be able to give it to me today or is it still not possible even today?’”

कहलखिन ठीक छै अहाँ के हम दय छी बाबुजी। 

“She replied, ‘Okay, father, I am getting it for you.’”

फेन ओ टिफिन गेलखिन खोलय लै। टिफिन खोलय लै गेलखिन हुनका बड्ड मोन खुशी भेलय। 

“Then she went to open the tiffin. When she opened it, she became very happy.”

बाबुजी दु परीक्षामे नै जीतलौं तेसर परीक्षामे हम आइ पास कऽ गेलौं से आइ अहाँ के भोजन मिल गेल टाइम से। 

“She told her father-in-law, ‘Father, I didn’t succeed in the first two tests, but I succeeded on the third test today, so you got your breakfast on time today.’”

आइ ओ दही चूरा अहाँ खा कऽ चलि जाऊ। दही चूरा खेलथि बूढ़ा अपन गेलथि। 

“‘Head out after having eating curd with flattened rice today.’ The old man ate curd with flattened rice, and then departed.”

पोता के कहलखिन सुनलहि बौआ तऽ हाँ सुनलिए दाई।

The old woman asked her grandson, “Did you listen?” He replied, “Yes, grandma, I listened.”

पोता तऽ अपन सुति रहल।

And then her grandson fell asleep.